Collar-ironing machine.



W. W. QUINN.

COLLAR IRONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, IBM.

1,138,686. Pafent-ed May 11, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOm-LITHQ. WASHINGTDN. D. C

W. W. QUINN.

COLLAR IRONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY16, 1911- 1,138,686; Patented May 11, 1915.

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I W. W. QUINN.

COLLAR IRONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15. 1911.

1 1 38,686. Patented May 11, 1915.

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'i STATES PATEN '1 FFIQ.

WILBUR W. QUINN, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL CHEMICAL COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COLLAR-IRONING MACHINE.

as er.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mayll, 1915.

Application filed May 16, 1911. Serial No. 627,500.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VVILBUR W. QUIN N, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Collar-Ironing Machines, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in collar ironing machines of the class set forth in the pending application of V. J. Quinn, Ser. No. 609,415, filed February 18, 1911, in which a plurality of collars may be ironed and formed in a single operation by means of a plurality of heated ironing heads and cooperative collar supports movable into and out of the heads, and no claim is made herein to the invention disclosed in the above identified application.

It frequently happens that different portions of a collar on the same support or that different collars on the separate supports will vary more or less in thickness under which conditions it is evident that unless one of the parts is free to tilt relatively to the other part the thicker portions of the same collar or the thicker collar would be subjected to greater pressure than the thinner portions or collar, thereby leaving said thinner portions or collar more or less rough or unironed.

One of the objects, therefore, of my present invention is to provide flexible and yielding connections between each collar support and the reciprocatory frame or head upon which it is mounted so that each collar support may readily adjust itself to the corresponding ironing head in such manner that all parts of the same collar and each of the collars on the different supports may be subjected to substantially the same pressure and consequently to the same smoothing or ironing operation, irrespective of their varying thicknesses.

As a further means for establishing and maintaining a uniform pressure between the collar supports and coacting portions of the ironing heads, these heads are rigidly disposed side by side preferably in the same horizontal plane or at least with the bases of the forming grooves in planes parallel with the upper edges of the collar supports so that all portions of the folded edge of a collar will be subjected to the same pressure by reason of the ability of the collar-support to automatically adjust itself to vary ing thicknesses of the interposed portion of the collar between the pressing elements.

Another object is to firmly hold the ironing heads in fixed relation preferably by casting them integral and providing them with intercommunicating chambers having a common inlet and a single outlet or drain.

The ironing-heads are preferably made of cast iron, and provided with circular collarforming grooves or sockets which are carefully turned and highly polished so as to impart a smooth finish to the collar by direct pressure. It sometimes happens that in forming these sockets, air or sand holes will be developed, thereby destroying the continuity of the smooth ironing surface and in order to avoid the necessity of discarding such an imperfect head and at the same time to render it serviceable I have provided a relatively thin sheet metal lining pressed to conform to the ironing surface of the head and in which it is closely fitted and held.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description:

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the supporting frame and operating mechanism partly in section. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the ironing heads showing the ad-' jacent collar supports partly in section and partly in elevation and also showing a rotary axially movable frame upon which the collar supports are mounted, the hub of the frame being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, partly in top plan, of the ironing heads shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of one of the heads and collar support and adjacent portion of the frame upon which the collar support is mounted, a collar be ing shown in position for ironing. Fig. 5 is a perspective view on a reduced scale of the detached lining for one of the heads.

In carrying out the objects stated I have shown a pair of circular cast metal ironing heads 11 arranged side by side in the same horizontal plane and integrally united by a hollow web or neck 2- of substantially the same vertical depth as the heads and of sufficient strength to rigidly hold the heads in fixed relation. These heads may be mounted in any desired manner upon a suitable supporting frame capable of holding them in a stationary position and are provided with annular steam chambers 3-3 communicating with each other through separate passages l and 5- in the hollow web or neck 2-, said passages being separated from each other by a partition 6 as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3 connecting the inner sides of the chambers 3-3 substantially midway between the front and rear sides of the neck 2.

Steam is admitted from any available source of supply to the passage -4 through an inlet pipe 7- and passes entirely around both of the chambers 3- 3 so as to heat all portions of both heads, the passage 5- being provided with a 'drain pipe -S near the bottom thereof for the purpose of drawing olf any water of condensation which may accumulate in the heads. These heads preferably consist of hollow rings each of which is provided in its underside with an annular socket forming opposite downwardly diverging walls or annular flanges 9 and 10 and an annular bearing -ll of rounding cross section at the junction of the flanges -9 and 10 and forming the base of the groove or socket for the purpose of giving a rounding finish to the folded portion of the collar, the outer walls or flanges '9- being of greater ver-tical depth than the flanges 10 to guide and center suitable collar supports 12 when entering their respective heads.

Each collar support preferably consists of a circular contractile plate 13- and a suitable supporting base -14 which is flexibly connected for tilting and oscillatory movement upon a frame 15 rotarily mounted upon a vertically disposed shaft 29- having an angular portion mounted in an angular journal 30 on a supporting frame -31 and axially movable in said journal and having its lower end provided with a roller 32 resting upon the surface of a rotary cam 33*- mounted on the base 31, said cam adapted to be rotated in any suitable manner, as by a hand lever I have illustrated one ordinary and well known means for axially moving the shaft 29-, but any other means may be used, as the particular means forms no portion of the invention herein claimed by the applicant.

The'contractile plate 13 is arranged in an upright position and divided through one side with its ends spaced some distance apart at one and the same side so-as to allow the plate to contract and expand, each plate being held against axial movement on its supporting head -1't by one or more pins 16 as best seen in Fig. 3. p

The circumferential length of each of the plates and corresponding annular socket in the head is siiflicient to receive the maximum size of collar exclusive of the tabs or ends in which the front button holes are formed and in order that the tabs of average size collars may not be subjected to pressure between the pressing elements, a portion of the rear side of the bearings 10 and -11- of the ironing head -1 is cut away of sheet metal such as copper or other suitable material formed to fit closely against said bearings so as to cover the imperfections in the casting and thereby afford smooth bearings for the collars when subjected to pressure between the ironing heads and collar supports and if necessary these linings may be used in connection with all of the heads, thereby avoiding the expensive operation of trueing and polishing the bearing surfaces of the heads, each of said linings having its inner flange as 19 cut away ct QO to register with the recess 17- in the head.

In order that the collar support may readily adjust itself to compensate for v rying thicknesses of the same or different collars and thereby enable all portions of the fold to be subjected to the same pressure, the hub of each of the supporting bases 1l-- of the collar supports is provided with a convex or conical bearing 21 which is seated in a corresponding conical socket 22 of a collar or ring Q3.--.

This ring 23 and the bearing 2l constitute a sectional hub or member telescoping in a socket 24 in a lhu'b -2'5- of the rotary axially movable frame 15 and rests upon the upper end of a spiral compression spring 26 having its lower end resting upon the bottom of the hub 25 as best seen in Fig. at, suflicient clearance being left between the base 1land frame -1 and also between the ring 23 andbottom ofthe socket 24 to permit limited vertical movement of the entire collarsup'port relatively to the frame 15.

The object of the conical bearings between the base -1't and ring -22 is to center the collar support relatively to the ironing head and at the same time permit said support toti lt in any direction and thereby automatic'a'lly adjust itself to varying thicknesses of different portions of the collar when in its pressing position.

The-collar support is held in'its operative position upon the frame --'15- by a clamping bolt "27 which is passed vertically through registering openings in the hub *25 ring 23 and base 14land is also passed through the spiral spring -26--,

said bolt having its lower end provided with a suitable head engaging the lower end of the hub 25 while its upper end is provided with adjusting nuts 28 one of which engages the upper face of the base -1i-, thereby holding the conical hub of said base against its yielding seat or ring -23-.

The nuts 28 are adjusted so as to slightly compress the spring 26, thereby maintaining contact between the hub of the base 14i and ring -2S and at the same time allowing the entire collar support to move downwardly against the action of the spring for the purpose described.

The frame 15- may be moved vertically to and from its pressing position and rotated when drawn downwardly below the plane of the ironing heads in any suitable manner, as by hand or by the mechanism shown in the pending application previously referred to and inasmuch as the operating mechanism for the collar support forms no part of my present invention, it is unneces sary to herein further illustrate or describe the same except to state that when the collar supports are withdrawn downwardly from the ironing heads by gravity or otherwise, the collars are placed by hand over and upon the upper edges of the contractile plates -13- with their tabs registered with the space between the ends of said plate, whereupon the collar supports with the collars thereon are moved upwardly into pressing coaction with the ironing heads for smoothing the folded edge of the collars.

If one portion of either of the collars should be thicker than the other during the pressing operation, it is evident that'said support would readily tilt sufficiently to cause the remaining thinner portions of the collar to be pressed with the same degree of pressure as the thicker portion and that if one collar on one of the supports should be thicker than that on the other support, the support upon which the thicker collar is mounted would be depressed against the action of its corresponding spring -26, thereby leaving the other support free to press its collar with substantially the same degree of pressure as that exerted upon the thicker collar of the other head.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that while I have shown a collar support having a contractile circular plate adapted to enter the collar-forming groove in the ironing head, I do not wish to limit myself to this particular form of collar support for the reason that by interposing a flexible and yielding connection between the collar support and its reciprocatory operat ing frame -15 I may be able to use a rigid or non-contractile flange on the base -1 l for supporting and forming the collar, and although I have shown one particular means for heating the heads, it is readily apparent that these heads may be heated in various well known ways and by various means, as by an electric current passing through a heat radiating coil, or other equivalent means, without departing from the spirit of this invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A collar ironing machine comprising a head having a circular groove in its underside, a vertically movable frame, a circular collar support of substantially the same diameter as the groove which it is adapted to enter and centrally mounted upon the frame to tilt relatively to the axis of the head and a spring interposed between the frame and collar support for restoring the collar support to its normal position after being tilted therefrom.

2. In an ironing machine, an ironing head having a circular channel, a collar support movable into and out of the channel, a re ciprocatory frame having a socket, a spring in the socket, a washer resting on the spring and provided with a concave bearing, and a convex bearing on the collar support seated in the concave bearing.

3. In a collar ironing machine, a pair of ironing heads having steam chambers and a hollow neck integrally connecting said heads and having its interior communicating with the chambers, said heads being provided with circular grooves, circular collar supports movable into and out of registration with said grooves, a reciprocatory frame, and yielding connections between said frame and collar supports so that upon reciproca tion of said frame said collar supports are moved into and out of the grooves in the heads under yielding pressure.

4:. In a collar ironing machine, a pair of hollow ring-shaped heads integrally united side by side by a hollow web, the interior chamber of the web being divided by a partition connecting the adjacent sides of the inner walls of the interior chambers of the heads forming connecting passages between the chambers in the heads at opposite sides of the partition, one of said passages being provided with a steam inlet and the other passage provided with an outlet, in combination with a pair of circular collar supports movable into and out of the grooves of their respective heads.

5. An ironing machine comprising a head having a collar-receiving portion, a rotatable frame, said frame movable toward and from the head, a collar support mounted on said frame at one side of the axis thereof and adapted to be moved into and out of registration with the collar-receiving por tion of said head by rotation of said frame, and a spring interposed between the collar support and frame to allow the collar support to be depressed with respect to the frame and means allowing the collar support to tilt laterally with respect to the frame.

6. A collar ironing machine comprising a head, a frame movable toward and from the head, a collar support, said frame and collar support provided with telescoping members, a spring between said members and a bolt engaging said members for holding the collar support in operable position and tensioning the spring.

7. In a collar ironing machine, a shaping head having inner and outer flanges, said flanges forming a substantially circular groove, a portion of the inner flange being cut away to form a recess for receiving the tabs of the collar, the outer flange being continuous around the groove and across the recess, a circular collar support and means for reciprocating said collar support into and out of the groove.

8. In a collar ironing machine the combination with a shaping head, of a rotatable frame having a plurality of eccentrically positioned hollow hubs, separate collar supporting members having portions telescoping with said hubs, a separate spring positioned in each of said hubs and forming a resilient support for its respective collar supporting member.

9. In a collar ironing machine the combination with a shaping head of a rotatable frame having a plurality of eccentrically positioned hollow hubs, separate collar supporting members having portions telescoping with said hubs, a separate spring positioned in each of said hubs so that each collar support may independently be brought into pressing coaction with the ironing head under the resilient pressure of said spring.

10. In a collar ironing machine, a shaping head having inner and outer substantially concentric flanges and an intermediate bearing surface forming a socket adapted to mold a collar, a portion of the inner flange and the bearing surface cut away to form a recess for receiving a tab of a collar, a collar supporting ring and means for bringing the ring into interfitting relation with the socket.

11. In a collar molding machine, the combination with a head having socket of a ring for receiving the collar, one of said elements adapted for movement toward and from the other for interfitting the ring with the collar thereon and the socket to mold the collar, a carriage for the ring including a hub, the ring having a bearing supported by and slidable axially of the hub, a spindle extending axially through the hub and the bearing and having means engaging the carriage and the bearing, a spring interposed between the carriage and the bearing for permitting the ring to yield relatively to the carriage when in intertitting relation with the socket in the head.

12. In a collar molding machine, the combination wit-h a head having a socket of a ring for receiving the collar, one of said elements adapted for movement toward and from the other for inter-fitting the ring with the collar thereon and the socket to mold the collar, a rotary carriage for moving the ring into and out of registration with the head, said carriage and ring having a coacting bearing and hub relatively telescoped and slidable axially one upon the other, means engaging the bearing and hub for preventing separation of said parts, and a spring within the hub permitting the ring to yield relatively to the carriage when in interfitting relation with the socket in the head.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 8th day of May 1911.

W. l/V. QUINN.

Witnesses:

H. E. Crrasn, E. F. SPEAKING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. 

